Open writing circle

Confessionals: Writing Through Shame and Fear of Being Seen

This writing workshop is an invitation to work with confession as a practice of release—something that you do for yourself and not under an authority. Together, we’ll use writing to move through shame and the fear of being seen, transforming what has been held tightly or silently into something you can shape, hold, and let go of. This is a space for experimentation, care, and risk, where confession becomes a tool for self-recognition rather than self-erasure.

Words and stories reside within all of us, waiting to be discovered.

Our monthly Open Writing Circle invites people with all levels of writing experience to explore their creativity and imagination.
In each session, one of Berlin’s many exceptional writers, poets, artists, or curators will create a vibrant and collective learning experience.

Whether you’re interested in fiction, memoir, non-fiction, or poetry, this supportive space encourages you to uncover the words within you. We’ll draw upon techniques used in writing workshops to unleash your innate talent in a collaborative environment that will allow for a dynamic exchange of ideas and insights.

This workshop aims to create an affirming, playful and empowering space for queer people to explore, express and celebrate their identities as well as to provide a platform for the stories of the LGBTQIA+ community to be shared, heard and valued.

Djibril Sall is a queer Senegalese performer, choreographer, and writer whose work sits at the intersection of racialized migration, belonging, and in-betweenness. Born in Dakar and raised in a working-class family in the Deep South of the United States, his practice is shaped by movement across classed, racialized, and geopolitical borders. Drawing from his own migration history, he asks how trauma might become a departure point for pleasure, disclosure, letting go, and open-hearted connection.

Based in Berlin, Djibril works across dance, performance, and embodied research. His choreographic work has been presented at Sophiensaele, Tanz im August, Tanznacht, SAVVY Contemporary, Ballhaus Ost, ImPulsTanz (Vienna) and he has been invited to perform in works shown at radialsystem (Berlin), Centre Pompidou (Paris), Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam), and DARK MOFO (Australia). His most recent work, DJAM LEELII, premiered at Sophiensaele in November 2025.

General Information
Level: No previous experience is necessary.
Language: While the group is primarily conducted in English, you are welcome to write in any language you feel comfortable with.
Cost: this event is free of charge.

We also invite all writers to consider leading a future session—please contact us for more information